Building element.



A. H. BECKMAN.

BUILDING ELEMENT.

APPLICATlON FILED MAR. i8, 1912.

vf' i .L if meme@ Feb. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

the element.

.suenen on MADISON, wisconsin. 'l

arritmias aannam.

. To all 'whom z'imay concern.' r

' Be it known that LAUGUST H. BECKMAN,

a citizen Iof the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Dane and State of 5 Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building Elements,

of which the followingis a specification.

he present invention has for its ob]ect to provide a metallic building element to N take the place of wooden structural niem bersin building construction, the design of the element being such that it can beused for studding, joists, rafters, artition'studs, and'various other parts of a uilding.

15 vThe invention also has `for its object to providenovel and vices to ment.

description appearing panying drawings forminga part of this 28 specification, in' which drawings* Figure 1 is an elevation of the element. Fig. 2 is across section thereof on the'line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the fastener employed in connection with Fig. 4 is a sectional View showing the element -employed in connection with a floor. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of l A a building constructionshowing a further a plication of the element. Fig. 6 is a ver- As shown inthe drawings, the element 4comprises a built-up beam having a hollow web and' outstanding flanges.` The beam' is composed of two longitudinal members 10 4Qv and 11, respectively,'each ofi which members has outstanding ianges12 at its longitudinal edges, which flanges, when the two members are assembled face to face to 'form the beam, extend outwardly from opposite sides of the latter at its longitudinal edges. vThe two members have the same cross-sectional-shape, said shape being suchv that the beam is given a 'hollow web. As shown in Fig. 2, the members are parallel for a short distance from their longitudinal edges, and then extend divergingly in the direction of i the middle portion of the beam to form the v hollow vweb thereof, the members being u vchannel shaped in 55- at 13. The channel portions of the members cross section at the lastmentioned portion of the beam, as indicated Specicatioii of Letters latent.= Application illed March 18, 1912.` Serial No. 684,381.l

'--face each other and 'improved attaching debe used in connection with the4 ele- Other objects and advantages of the in vention will be manifest from the detailed, hereinafter, andin. order that the invention may. be better. understood reference is had to the accomallel portions of the members.

tical section showing -a window construction..v

` in Fig. 4 on the are on the inside of the beam. Between the members, at suitable intervals, and extending between the top and bottom thereof, are located reinforcin bars 14 which are secured in 1place'by bo ts 15 passing through the paral el portions of the members. The beam is also reinforced at its niemand-4,1913.

ends by strips 16 secured to both sides ofthe web on the outside thereof, said strips being through the The bolt-s fastened by bolts 17 passing parallel portions of the members. 15 and 17 also serve to fastenthe members vtogetherin assembled relation. The beam 'is also trussed by a cable or rod 18 located between the members and extending from fone Y i end-to the other. The truss is made ,fast at i lits ends by any Isuitable means between the upper parallel portions of the members, and- Ithence extends downwardly, its intermediate portion being located between the 'lower par- The middle ortion of the beam has holes for spacing ars 19, said bars passing through the holes and being made fast by cotter pins 20 passing'throughthe bars on opposite sides of the beamV contiguous to the channeled portions of the members constituting said beam. These holes may also be employed for electric wiring, in which event they will be lined with a suitable insulating bushing 21.

l When the' beam herein described is emshown in Fig. 4, a number of such beams are positioned in spaced relation by means ployed as a joist in floor constructionas of the bars v19. The nailing strips 22 to which the flooring 23 is secured, are supportedyon the top flanges 12 by the fastener shown 'in Fig. 3. This fastener .comprises -a sheet metal plate 24 having tongues 25 at 1 its ends, on both sides, diametrically oppov.

site ones of which tongues are adapted-to be bent under the top flanges 12 to hold the fastener in place. The plate" also has spurs and driven intothe sides of the strip 22.

2G on o posite sides which are bent inwardly Thechanneled portions 13 of the beam i members may be employedto support the arched form 27 which supports theponcrete filler 28 located between the beams.

Fig. of a 5 re resents a vertical cross section building construction showing the method of placing the floor joistsshown I stone or brick wall 29, and also the method of supporting the floor joists of the next door. To the top anges of the first-mentioned joists are fastened, by means of rivets or other suitable means, one of the members of which the hereindescribed beams are composed, and-a similar member is secured to the bottom danges of the joists of the next door. Between these members extend studding members which are formed of thel1erein-described beams set in Vertical position. rlhe plaster board 30 is fastened by means of prongs 3l 'stamped in the studdmg member in such a way that when placing the plaster board the same is set in between the studding members, and the prongs arevbent out against the plaster board to hold the same in place.

A plaster board or metal lath 32 forI the wall and ceiling is fastened to the face of the studding, and to the bottom danges of the door joists, using the fastening der/ice shown in Fig., B.

Fi' 6 shows a window construction. The

Y studding members are cut away to form the opening, for the window frame 33, the'space between the two trimmers 3l representing this o ening. Each trimmer is composed of one o the members of which the herein-dev scribed beam is formed.

l claim:

` l. fl building element comprising a beam- Loriano? longitudinal edges. said members being par-- allel it'or a portion from their longitudinal edges7 and then extending divergingly in the direct-ion of the` middle portion oit the beam to 'form a hollow web, said diverging portions terminating at the middle of the beam in a portion which is channelshaped in cross-section7 the channels lacing each other and being located on the inside of the beam.

2. A building element comprising a beam composed of a pair of longitudinal mem bers each having outstandin anges at its longitudinal edges, said mem ers being parallel for a portion 'from their longitudinal edges, and then extending divergingl in the direction ot the middle portion oi the beam to form a hollow web,`said diverging portions terminating at the middle oit the beam-in a portion which is Channelshaped lin cross-section, the channels lacing each 

